Orbach: Naftali Bennett is Our Prince Charming

MK Uri Orbach of the Bayit Yehudi (Jewish Home) party had high praise for party head Naftali Bennett in his first speech in the 19th Knesset, comparing him to a fairy-tale prince.

Orbach recalled his first speech in Knesset four years ago, when he entered as one of three MKs in the Jewish Home party. “I compared religious Zionism to Queen Esther – aware of the greatness of her mission, but also a bit afraid of it,” he said. “I also said that maybe religious Zionism is like Sleeping Beauty.”

“I even said that we hope that our Jewish Home will truly be a home that is open to everyone, even to those who aren’t exactly like us, to bring back the traditional Jews and secular Jews who love their Judaism, and of course religious Jews who want fitting representation,” he noted.

“We wanted to wake up our Sleeping Beauty, religious Zionism. But I didn’t continue the story, I didn’t recall the prince who needs to give her a kiss. I was worried, you know, there are religious people and more religious people, if I start talking about kisses between princes and beauties they’ll kick me out of the party,” he joked.

MK Yitzchak Vaknin of Shas then intervened to remind Orbach that he was not meant to be giving his first speech again. “MK Vaknin, I knew that if I started to talk about kisses and princes, someone from Shas would interrupt,” Orbach replied.

“I’m happy we found Naftali Bennett,” Orbach declared. “He is the prince who woke up the sleeping beauty, who, along with his good friends, gave the kiss of life that woke us up politically, woke up this great beauty that will benefit the entire country.”

“I want to wish you, Naftali, our friend, that you keep waking up the beauty. She is awake, but now she needs to do something with her beauty, with her abilities,” he added.

“Together, we will achieve all of the things that you spoke of, and other things as well, in order to again be a major force in the state of Israel, a force that connects everyone. When we, the religious Zionists under your leadership, bring everyone together, we won’t just be a bridge in the sense that everyone steps on us, but a bridge in the sense that everyone is connected through us,” Orbach declared.

“Good luck, Naftali, and blessings on the beginning of your work as the leader of religious-Zionist politics in the state of Israel,” he concluded.